King’s Cross
American soldiers flocked to Sydney for a break from combat during those nightmarish late ‘60s and early ‘70s Vietnam War years. Aussie soldiers were our mates in previous international conflicts. I trained with them at Fort Benning, home of the US Infantry in Georgia. I imagined how inviting King’s Cross, a place of revelry, must have been for American soldiers after trudging through rice fields, armed with hand grenades and M-16 rifles. They were welcomed in Sydney with open arms.
I quietly strolled through The Cross with purpose, retracing their battle-worn footsteps, reminding me how fortunate I was in my commitment to the country, serving in a non-combat role in South Korea.
The Cigarette King
He shared a fascinating story of a CABG operation Barratt-Boyes performed on the “Cigarette King,” Mr. Surya Wonowidjojo from Kediri. Since Hilless assisted in the operation, he was assigned to look after Surya in intensive care. Besides a significant surgical fee, Sir Brian was gifted a diamond-encrusted Rolex as a thank-you. Wearing a less expensive Rolex model he received for assisting, Allan described how Mr. Surya arrived in a private plane with a personal physician, staff, and gifts to disburse to the operative and nursing teams. The nuns were delighted when he presented the private Mater Hospital with TVs for their various departments. He also distributed packets of his Gudang Garam brand of ‘fags’ full of cloves —aka Kretek. They were hyped as less toxic to one’s health than regular cigarettes. I learned later Surya returned to Auckland with a recurrence of his coronary disease. Very little could be done to save him at that point. Sir Brian was a heavy smoker, and despite his first coronary bypass surgery at age 50, he struggled to quit.
Dal Lake with Dr. Buckberg
With the Congress closing that evening, Dr. Buckberg (Who often referred to himself as “Uncle Bucky”) and Dr. Cooley wanted to purchase Kashmiri rugs for their fine homes in Los Angeles and Houston. Staying at the Sheraton Hotel, the rug emporium caught our attention by offering a free shipping service for large purchases. The wealthy Houstonian spent nearly $10,000 and Gerry a little over $5000 for carpets that would cost three times that in America. I didn’t want to be left out and purchased a small throw rug for under a hundred bucks. Mr. Dean Shaw, the owner, brimmed with joy and offered the three of us a four-night stay on a Shikara (a houseboat) he owned on Lake Dal in Srinagar. Cooley told Shaw he would be departing THAT evening for Houston.
Dr. Buckberg with a serious look on his face said, “Rue, are you up for a little adventure?”
The next day, at eight a.m., we were on a flight headed north for a cultural experience in one of India's most beautiful and disputed provinces, Jammu and Kashmir. India, Pakistan, and China all claimed parts of “J&K,” as the residents called it. Our personal and career-directed talks meshed with our evolving life stories. Over the next four days, we shared our shenanigans, achievements, ambitions, and ribald stories on an ornate craft away from big city confusion.
Having an onboard attendant at our beck and call nearly floored me when I realized he came included with the houseboat.